Which to use
“vi” is a name and “vin” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,812
- “vi” frequency rank
- #1,383
- “vin” frequency rank
- 5195
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | vi | vin |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Éditeur de texte minimaliste créé en 1976 par Bill Joy, n’utilisant que le clavier, et modal : l’effet de la pression sur une touche du clavier dépend du mode dans lequel on se trouve (mode insertion ou mode commande). | Boisson alcoolique obtenue par fermentation du jus de raisin et connue depuis plusieurs millénaires. |
Where the eye mixes vi and vin
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses vi with vin
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: vi is \vi.aj\ while vin is \vɛ̃\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “vi” sits inside “vin”, and the parts of speech differ too (name vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 5195, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
vi is recorded at frequency rank #3,812, classified as aname, pronounced \vi.aj\. vin is at rank #1,383, tagged as anoun, pronounced \vɛ̃\.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 5195, this pair ranks #429,671 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of vi vs vin
Shared letters: iv. Private to "vi": -. Private to "vin": n.
"vi" · 2 letters · shape CV · "vin" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "vi" for "vin" ever safe?
Which is more common, "vi" or "vin"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "vi" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "vin" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #429,671 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "vi" and "vin" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "vi vs viv". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #429,671 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.